Recipe and instructions for making canele (canelé) that have a rich, moist and custardy interior which is sealed into a thin, crispy, caramelized shell.
Prep time: PT30M
Cook time: PT60M
Total time: PT90M
Rating
4.99 stars (172 reviews)
Keywords
canele, canelé de bordeaux, caneles
Ingredients
2 vanilla beans ((preferably Madagascan))
500 ml milk ((cold))
200 g cane sugar ((250 g if you want more sweetness following traditional recipes; I use 200 g))
100 g all-purpose flour ((you can also use bread flour))
50 g butter ((melted))
2 eggs ((large))
2 egg yolks
60 ml dark rum
40 g beeswax
60 g butter
Categories
Dessert
Cuisine
French
Steps
Slit the vanilla beans lengthwise, and scrape the seeds from them with a small knife. Put the seeds, vanilla pods, and milk in a saucepan, and bring them to a gentle simmer, and then turn off the heat and let sit for two minutes.
In a separate bowl, whisk sugar, eggs, and egg yolks. Add melted butter and whisk more until combined.
Remove the pods from the milk. Add 1/4 of the hot milk into the egg mixture and mix well. Add flour and continue mixing until combined. Then slowly add the remaining milk while continuing to mix until all ingredients are mixed well. Add rum and mix. This way, you will avoid lumps and will end up with the perfect consistency of the batter. (Note: this step is very important. Adding hot milk to the egg mixture will temper the eggs and create custard, which will ensure the perfect consistency of your caneles).
Refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours. This is non-negotiable. The texture and flavor improve dramatically by the second day and third day. So, 24 hour rest is mandatory. 48 hours if you want amazing canele. The batter may be kept in a fridge for up to 4 days. Each time you use the batter, stir it well and work it for at least 2 minutes with a whisk.
For a smooth, shiny surface that accentuates the dark brown color of the caneles coat the molds with a mix of 40 g beeswax and 60 g butter melted together. For this, melt the beeswax and butter together, quickly pour the mix into a mold, and then back into the original container. Turn upside down on a cooling rack with a paper towel underneath to catch drippings. Once cooled down, chill in a freezer or a refrigerator until ready to bake.
Preheat oven to 550F. Fill the molds with batter to 3/8 inch (1 cm) from the top. Place them on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake them at 550F for 10 minutes. Without opening the oven, drop the temperature to 375F and continue baking for another 45-50 minutes. Every oven is different, so your baking times may need to be adjusted.
Remove caneles from the oven. Quickly unmold them and place them on a cooling rack upside down. Caneles usually slide right out of their molds, but if they don't, turn the mold upside down and knock on a hard surface, such as a cutting board.
Let cool for 2 hours at room temperature. Caneles must be eaten on the day they are baked.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 164 kcal
Carbohydrates: 19 g
Protein: 2 g
Fat: 7 g
Saturated Fat: 4 g
Cholesterol: 62 mg
Sodium: 71 mg
Sugar: 14 g
Reviews
Yati Hamid on 2025-11-06 (5 stars): Hi,
Can I reduce the sugar in the recipe by half?
Graham Williams on 2025-10-16 (5 stars): Just made my first batch of your Caneles. They are absolutely wonderful. A little bit of effort, but the results are superb. Thank you so much for the recipe. Think I might have to try the chocolate versions next ;-)
Kali on 2025-10-02 (5 stars): just to confirm - Take the prepared canale molds straight from fridge/freezer with cold batter straight from the fridge goes in to oven? Or bring to room temp first?
Also, did you make all 16 at one time? Or would you recommend doing smaller batches at a time?
Thanks, excited to try your recipe!
Katie on 2025-09-09 (5 stars): I just made these using copper molds. They did not come out glossy. I started with oven temp at 500 degrees (my oven’s max temp), then lowered to 350 (I used convection). I am wondering if the wax running over the top edge while cooking may have had something to do with the lack of shine. Perhaps leaving the batter a little lower in the mold would help so that the wax wouldn’t run over the edge? They are dark brown, just not glossy. Any suggestions?
Katrina on 2025-08-24 (5 stars): Hello!
Are the kcal mentioned above per piece or per 100g?
Thank you!
Andi on 2025-08-19 (5 stars): Denisa, my understanding of Note 1 is that (A) The butter *seasoning* is once at the beginning after washing the newly received molds. Then, as people traditionally did with cast iron, don’t wash the molds after use, just wipe them out unless batter gets stuck on them in which case wash and re-season;
(B) Butter or butter and beeswax *coating* you do every time.
Rosita Carbone on 2025-07-26 (5 stars): This is my favorite canale recipe. They turn out just right!! My grand niece had canale in Paris, and returned saying mine were better and she wants to learn how to make them!
